John Ruskin is a great English writer, poet, artist, art theorist, and social reformer. He is best known for his works in the field of art history and architecture, particularly Gothic architecture, and for his role in shaping the Pre-Raphaelite artistic movement. Among his works, the most outstanding are "Lectures on Art," "Artistic Fiction: The Beautiful and the Ugly," "English Art," "Modern Painters," as well as "The Stones of Venice" and others. In total, Ruskin wrote about fifty books, seven hundred articles, and lectures. This book includes two classic lecture cycles delivered to students at Oxford: "Lectures on Art" and "Eagle's Nest." The first cycle represents the quintessence of the art historian's artistic ideas, reflections on the history of art, its essence, role, and significance in public life. Here, Ruskin first discusses the hedonistic purpose of art in the history of art history, as well as "pure" and "mass" art. The second cycle is devoted to the interconnection of science and art, the influence of anatomical study on the creativity of great artists, and the importance of selfless attitude towards creativity. In this cycle, Ruskin also presents a whole system of cultivating perception, which will help learn to see the beautiful in the ordinary.
